CyberKnife Treatment

• CyberKnife is a radiation therapy used as non-invasive treatment for cancerous tumors anywhere in the body and cost of CyberKnife in India is USD 7000 to USD 8000.
• It delivers radiation directly to the cancerous tissue thus fewer side effects and higher success rates.
• It is an out-patient treatment and is undertaken in 1 to 6 sessions.
• Tests required for determining the size, shape and location of the tumor are CT Scan, MRI, Angiography and PET.

Treatment Cost

More About Treatment

CyberKnife is a precise, painless and non-invasive radiation treatment that can be an alternative to radiotherapy or to open surgery in certain cases.

During Cyberknife radiosurgery procedure, the tumour receives a cumulative dose of radiation to control or destroy the tumour cells while radiation exposure to surrounding tissue is minimised. The Cyberknife is able to compensate for patient movement to ensure highly accurate delivery of radiation during treatment.

When patient movement occurs during treatment, the cameras detect the position change, and the robot is able to compensate for the movement by repositioning the LINAC before administering the radiation beam. This process of constantly correcting for beam replacement ensures accurate tumour targeting.

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The unique mechanism of the Cyberknife provides a non-invasive, surgical-like outcome for lesions of the brain and spine. It is the first and only commercial application of robotic stereotactic radiosurgery for the spine and the spinal cord. Additionally, this technology has the benefit of enabling the Cyberknife system to be used for radiosurgical applications outside the brain as was as for staged radiosurgical procedures.

Cyberknife radiosurgery has also been effectively used to treat selected lung malignancies. The combination of investigational software and hardware with Cyberknife technology can deliver conformal radiation to moving primary and metastatic lung tumours if surgery is not an option. The Cyberknife accommodates lung and tumour motion, enabling modifications to be made so as to deliver a maximal therapeutic dose while minimising surrounding tissues toxicity.

The Cyberknife intervention is a great help to patients who are dealing with deadly tumours. Cyberknife is used to treat:

• Non-Cancerous Tumours
• Brain Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Cancerous Spine Tumours
• Lung Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Breast Cancer

Once patients are assessed and evaluated by the multidisciplinary team, the treatment process commences. The process involves the following three steps:

• Treatment Setup
• Treatment Planning
• Treatment Delivery

Each of these procedures can occur either on the same day or on separate visits. Unlike with conventional stereotactic radiosurgery, the Cyberknife treatment planning procedure does not require that the patient be confined in an acute care setting while the plan is formulated. Patients are able to return home in between treatment planning appointments.

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During treatment setup, the team plans the overall details of radiation delivery. If a tumour is being treated, a custom-fit plastic mask is made for the patient. The patient has a CT scan with iodinated dye contrast with the mask in place. The CT data is then integrated into the treatment planning software, and digitally reconstructed demonstrating various patient positions are correlated with images of the target so that the computer can identify in three-dimensional space exactly where the lesion is located.

Cyberknife treatment planning utilizes the clinical experience of both the radiation oncologist and the physicist as well as the power of high-speed computers to determine the volume, dose and pattern of radiation beam target. During the planning phase, the Cyberknife performs millions of calculations to determine the most effective radiation delivery plans.

Soon after treatment planning is complete, the patient returns for treatment delivery. During treatment, the patient lies face upwards on the treatment table and is fitted with the appropriate immobilisation device. At the beginning of the actual treatment, the imaging system acquires digital x-rays of tumour localisation and patient position. This information is transmitted to the robotic arm, which is used to move the LINAC to the appropriate position

As the treatment proceeds, the robot moves and retargets the LINAC at multiple positions around the patient. At each position, a small radiation beam is delivered. This process is repeated at 50-300 different positions around the patient to complete treatment.

• Treatment of tumour lesions are far more accurate with targeting tumours
• Minimal exposure of healthy tissues
• The technology is non-invasive and involves no blood loss
• A painless treatment procedure that requires no anaesthesia

• One of the major limitations of Cyberknife is the extended delivery time for patients.
• Short-term side effects include nausea, fatigue and headache

Some of the following factors may affect your cost of treatment:

• The hospital you opt for
• Type of room – Standard single room, deluxe room, super deluxe room for the number of nights specified (including nursing fee, meals, room rateand room service).
• Operating room, ICU
• Fee for the team of doctors (Surgeons, Anaesthetist, Physiotherapist, Dietician)
• Medicines involved
• Standard test and diagnostic procedures

FAQs

Q: What is Cyberknife Radiosurgery?
A: Cyberknife Radiosurgery uses focused beams of intense energy to destroy cancer cells and shrink or control the growth of tumours. Radiosurgery works by preventing targeted cells from multiplying. The objective of Radiosurgery is to destroy the harmful cells while minimizing damge to healthy cells. Cyberknife Radiosurgery may be recommended as an alternative to surgery or in addition to surgery or other therapies. It also can be used to manage pain caused by lesions.

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Q: How long does the Cyberknife Radiosurgery usually take?
A: Cyberknife Radiosurgery normally last between 30-90 minutes. The time-span of a CyberKnife treatment session is mainly dependent on the number of beams used to treat the tumour and the degree of motion exhibited by the target. In most cases, tumours can be treated within three treatments, usually on consecutive days and it is rare for a treatment to extend beyond one week.

Q: Do I need Cyberknife Treatment?
A: Cyberknife is a fairly new non-invasive procedure that replaces surgery and other Radiotherapies to treats tumours anywhere in the body. Since it is non-invasive, it doesn't involve anesthesia or any blood, with very little recuperative time. If you want to find out if Cyberknife treatment is right for you, consult your doctor or call a Cyberknife specialist.

Q: How much time will it take to see results?
A: Most Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), including CyberKnife radiosurgery, are usually delivered in 1-5 sessionsand take about a week to complete. Keep in mind that the time frame varies between patients and between types of treatment. For instance, neurosurgical treatments like trigeminal neuralgia will see results almost immediately.

Q: What are the side-effects of Cyberknife?
A: The recuperative time-frame for Cyberknife is generally very little. Patients in general, experience very little to no side-effects. Some patients experience nausea and fatigue, nevertheless the cyberknife physician will explain all potential side-effects before the start of the treatment.

Q: Are there any risks associated while travelling?
A: It is best to consult your doctor for advice on travelling pre or post Cyberknife treatment. However, in most cases there is no difficulty in flying before or after the treatment. We come across a large number of patients who travel for Cyberknife treatment in India, stay for a couple of weeks and return to their home countries without any complications.

Q: How is Cyberknife different from other traditional forms of Radiotherapy?
A: There are a number of similarities between Cyberknife and traditional forms of Radiotherapy that uses beams of X-rays to destroy the DNA inside tumour cells. However, in the case of Cyberknife the X-ray beams are finer and more powerful. This allows them to sculpt much more accurately to the shape of the tumour.This unique ability of Cyberknife, means that they can be used to destroy complex or otherwise inaccessible tumours, which would otherwise not be possible with other forms of Radiotherapy.

Q: Can I go for Cyberknife Treatment while undergoing Chemotherapy?
A: Patients currently undergoing Chemotherapy or have undergone Chemotherapy in the past can be treated with Cyberknife. It is important to state complete patient history with respective doctor before the treatment commences.